Today’s devotion invites us to be open continually to God’s love that roots us in grace
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Scripture: Ephesians 4:17–24
That you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
The small ruler
I change by trying harder to stop being the old me.
The grace I receive
My mind is being renewed, and the new self God created is taking form.
Reflection
You may already be seeing things differently.
At the beginning of this journey, the questions were often about measuring: Am I doing enough? Am I close enough to God? Am I useful enough? What am I supposed to become?
Those questions may still appear. Old patterns rarely vanish simply because we recognize them.
But they do not have to carry the same authority.
Paul describes putting away the old self and being renewed in the spirit of the mind. We can easily turn that into another project: identify everything wrong with ourselves and construct a better version.
That is familiar territory.
Renewal goes deeper.
Behavior modification starts with a standard and asks us to make ourselves fit it. Renewal changes the way we see. As perception changes, our responses begin changing with it.
The old self includes more than obvious behaviors. It includes the old measuring system: comparison, proving, shame, self-protection, forced strength, and the need for other people to confirm our worth.
Grace has been loosening those rulers.
The new self is not a religious personality we manufacture.
Think of a light bulb. It does not create the energy that passes through it. It receives that energy, and because of what it is, light becomes visible.
Something similar happens as the Spirit renews us.
God’s life moves through the person He has already created. His workmanship becomes easier to see.
You may notice it in small places. Another person succeeds and you do not immediately compare. An old fear rises and you recognize it before it decides what you will do. You notice God in an ordinary moment. You become more curious about what grace is doing than worried about the standard you have not reached.
None of those changes needs to be dramatic.
They are signs of life.
You do not have to create the new self.
You are learning to let the life already flowing from God become visible through you.
A prayer of presence
Spirit of God,
Renew the way I see. I release the old need to measure myself against others or search for an external standard that will finally make me enough. Let Your life move through the person You have created me to be. I receive the newness You are already forming, one ordinary moment at a time.
– Amen
A practice of grace
Notice one small way you respond differently now than you once did. Do not evaluate whether the change is impressive enough. Simply name it as evidence that renewal is already taking form.
Consider this…
What old ruler can I lay down because I no longer need it to tell you who I am becoming?
Carry this prayer with you today
Breathe in: I release the old measure...
Breathe out: ... God renews me within
Continue the journey
If this devotion helped you pause, breathe, and receive your place in the love of Christ today, you are invited to continue walking through the full Love Beyond Measure 31-day series.
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Which line from today’s devotion are you ou carrying with you? You are welcome to share it in the comments.